The Will to Climb: Obsession and Commitment and the Quest to Climb Annapurna - the World's Deadliest Peak

The best-selling author of No Shortcuts to the Top and K2 chronicles his three attempts to climb the world's tenth-highest and statistically deadliest peak, Annapurna in the Himalaya, while exploring the dramatic and tragic history of others who have made - or attempted - the ascent, and what these exploits teach us about facing life's greatest challenges.

The Climb

The Climb is a true, gripping, and thought-provoking account of the worst disaster in the history of Mt. Everest: On May 10, 1996, two commercial expeditions headed by experienced leaders attempted to climb the highest mountain in the world, but things went terribly wrong...

Buried in the Sky: The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2's Deadliest Day

When Edmund Hillary first conquered Mt. Everest, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay was at his side. Indeed, for as long as Westerners have been climbing the Himalaya, Sherpas have been the unsung heroes in the background. In August 2008, when eleven climbers lost their lives on K2, the world’s most dangerous peak, two Sherpas survived. They had emerged from poverty and political turmoil to become two of the most skillful mountaineers on earth. Based on unprecedented access and interviews, Buried in the Sky reveals their astonishing story for the first time.

Dark Summit: The True Story of Everest's Most Controversial Season

In early May 2006, a young British climber named David Sharp lay dying near the top of Mount Everest while forty other climbers walked past him on their way to the summit. A week later, Lincoln Hall, a seasoned Australian climber, was left for dead near the same spot. Hall's death was reported around the world, but the next day he was found alive after spending the night on the upper mountain with no food and no shelter.

Into Thin Air

The definitive, personal account of the deadliest season in the history of Everest by the acclaimed journalist and author of Into the Wild. Read by the author. Also, hear a Fresh Air interview with Krakauer conducted shortly after his ordeal.

In 1967, 12 young men attempted to climb Alaska's MountMcKinley - known to the locals as Denali - one of the most popular and deadly mountaineering destinations in the world. Only five survived. Journalist Andy Hall, son of the park superintendent at the time, investigates the tragedy. He spent years tracking down survivors, lost documents, and recordings of radio communications. In Denali's Howl, Hall reveals the full story.

Alone on the Wall

Only a few years ago, Alex Honnold was little known beyond a small circle of hardcore climbers. Today, at the age of 30, he is probably the most famous adventure athlete in the world. In that short time, he has proven his expertise in many styles of climbing and has shattered speed records, pioneered routes, and won awards within each discipline. More spectacularly still, he has pushed the most extreme and dangerous form of climbing far beyond the limits of what anyone thought was possible.

Touching the Void

Joe Simpson, with just his partner, Simon Yates, tackled the unclimbed West Face of the remote 21,000-foot Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes in June of 1995. But before they reached the summit, disaster struck. A few days later, Simon staggered into Base Camp, exhausted and frostbitten, to tell their non-climbing companion that Joe was dead. For three days he wrestled with guilt as they prepared to return home. Then a cry in the night took them out with torches, where they found Joe, badly injured.

The Summit

On 1 August, 2008, 18 climbers from across the world reached the summit of K2, the world's second-highest and most dangerous mountain - a peak that claims the life of one in every four climbers who attempt it. Over the course of 28 hours K2 had exacted a deadly toll: 11 lives were lost in a series of catastrophic accidents.

How to Mount Aconcagua: A Mostly Serious Guide to Climbing the Tallest Mountain Outside the Himalayas

A mostly serious guide to climbing the tallest mountain in the Western and Southern Hemispheres, this efficient book includes a hilarious day-by-day account, with detailed descriptions of the challenges facing a climber on Aconcagua, such as when to wear your Crocs, which pop music divas to enjoy, and the challenges of pooping at high altitude. Everything you need to know about what it's like to attempt to summit Aconcagua is in this audiobook, served up on a tasty bed of humor.

Kiss or Kill: Confessions of a Serial Climber

Mark Twight is a BANFF award-winner, an extreme climber, an extreme writer, and an extreme personality. No matter what he's doing, Mark Twight takes a definite, and often controversial , stand. Anyone who knows climbing knows Twight's name, and anyone who knows Twight's name will want to listen to this audiobook. Each story is told in Twight's taut, in-your-face style. Brand-new epilogues bring each piece full circle, providing updated information and fresh, hindsight perspectives.

Die Trying: One Man's Quest to Conquer the Seven Summits

In early 2003, a young Wall Street investment banker named Bo Parfet set out to accomplish something very few had done before - climbing the highest mountain on every continent. He was not a professional climber, but what began as a casual interest would soon become a lifelong passion and in just over four years, Bo would overcome the odds and conquer all of the mountains - Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, Denali, Vinson Massif, Elbrus, Carstenz Pyramid, Kosciusko, and Everest - with courage, unbridled passion, and determination.

Just for the Love of It

Cathy has captured the drama of her Everest climbs, her passion for the challenge of climbing mountains, and her love for wild places in this story of her four attempts on the mountain. Cathy tries to answer the question of why, if climbing Everest can be so dangerous, people still want to do it.

Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman - Including 10 More Years of Business Unusual

In his long-awaited memoir, Yvon Chouinard - legendary climber, businessman, environmentalist, and founder of Patagonia, Inc. - shares the persistence and courage that have gone into being head of one of the most respected and environmentally responsible companies on earth. From his youth as the son of a French Canadian blacksmith to the thrilling, ambitious climbing expeditions that inspired his innovative designs for the sport's equipment.

Alone on the Ice: The Greatest Survival Story in the History of Exploration

On January 17, 1913, alone and near starvation, Douglas Mawson, leader of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, was hauling a sledge to get back to base camp - the dogs were gone. Mawson plunged through a snow bridge, dangling over an abyss by the sledge harness. A line of poetry gave him the will to haul himself back to the surface. On February 8, when he staggered back to base, his features unrecognizable, the first teammate to reach him blurted out, "Which one are you?"

Forever on the Mountain

In the summer of 1967, an Arctic hurricane trapped seven veteran climbers, members of Joe Wilcox's 12-man expedition, at 20,000 feet on Alaska's Mount McKinley. Ten days passed while the storm raged. Despite the availability of massive resources, no rescue was mounted, and all seven men died. The tragedy was one of the most controversial, bitterly contested, and mysterious tragedies in all of mountaineering history.

Everest, Revised & Updated Edition: Mountain Without Mercy

A stunningly illustrated portrait of life and death in a hostile, high-altitude environment where no human can survive for long, Everest invites you to join Breashears, his climbers, and his crew as they make photographic history. Author Broughton Coburn traces each step of the team's progress toward a rendezvous with history - and suddenly you're on the scene of a disaster that riveted the world's attention.

The Last Season

Destined to become a classic of adventure literature, The Last Season examines the extraordinary life of legendary backcountry ranger Randy Morgenson and his mysterious disappearance in California's unforgiving Sierra Nevada - mountains as perilous as they are beautiful. Eric Blehm's masterful work is a gripping detective story interwoven with the riveting biography of a complicated, original, and wholly fascinating man.

Publisher's Summary

This gripping and triumphant memoir follows a living legend of extreme mountaineering as he makes his assault on history, one 8,000-meter summit at a time.

For 18 years, Ed Viesturs pursued climbing's holy grail: to stand atop the world's 14 8,000-meter peaks, without the aid of bottled oxygen. But No Shortcuts to the Top is as much about the man who would become the first American to achieve that goal as it is about his stunning quest. As Viesturs recounts the stories of his most harrowing climbs, he reveals a man torn between the flat, safe world he and his loved ones share and the majestic and deadly places where only he can go.

A preternaturally cautious climber who once turned back 300 feet from the top of Everest but who would not shrink from a peak (Annapurna) known to claim the life of one climber for every two who reached its summit, Viesturs lives by an unyielding motto: "Reaching the summit is optional. Getting down is mandatory." It is with this philosophy that he vividly describes fatal errors in judgment made by his fellow climbers, as well as a few of his own close calls and gallant rescues. And, for the first time, he details his own pivotal and heroic role in the 1996 Everest disaster made famous in Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air.

No Shortcuts to the Top is more than the first full account of one of the staggering accomplishments of our time; it is a portrait of a brave and devoted family man and the beliefs that shaped this most perilous and magnificent pursuit.

I read allot of mountaineering books. Ed Viesturs story is one of my favorites. Not only has time proved him to be one of the world&#8217;s premier mountaineers, but the narrative this book shows that it is not by luck that he lives to tell the tale. Viesturs is proven to be a man of resolve, character, and discernment. I was apprehensive of reading this book because of many reviews that told of a boastful man who is full of himself. Nobody wants to read a 350 page work of hubris and self adulation. As I read this book and gained respect for the man, I realized that some have mistaken his realistic evaluation of situations as self congratulation. This is an error. Viesturs is an extra-ordinary (not ordinary) man. So when he recalls things that are just recollections of his reality, some may interpret this as a huge ego. However, it is his ability to make clear and unemotional judgments about situations that has gotten him not only up, but down the mountains he has climbed. This is unlike the self flagellation of some who profess humility, while clearly seething with pride at their own meekness. Viesturs makes no such claims.
Buy this book, learn from Ed Viesturs, enjoy.

Now, Ed has an amazing physical condition along with unique genes that allows him to climb without bottle oxygen. At the same time, he makes a series of good decisions that curtail several climbs when it didn't seem right. He lived to tell the tale and climb again next season. So why didn't I like the book?

Ed tells his story in which he is the only person that can sense good climbing conditions when all around him, make bad decisions in continuing to climb. He talks about his instincts, a lot. Perhaps it was the manner in which it was written that makes Ed look like he has a big ego. Perhaps better editing would have have softened some of these disagreeable moments. I would like to think that Ed is more humble in person then this books suggest. I would just liked something more definitive then instincts as a reason to perform an action. In the end, better editing would have forced him to be more precise as to his motives and reasons to act as he did on the mountains. Still, Ed is around to write his story when so many died along the way.

This book, unabridged, is the primer and introduction for one who might want to lose oneself in this genre of books. High altitude mountaineering is grand drama, with killing cold, and with oxygen starvation that hobbles the brain and causes the body to consume itself. This is where storms appear out of nowhere, and simple injuries can become a death sentence, because help often is unavailable. Fiction is unnecessary because up here the true stories are incredible.

Yes, Dr. Viesturs’ book uses the word “I” a lot: It’s an autobiography as well as an overview. Arguably the world’s best, the guy practices great safety discipline, and deals in facts. He also is a superb historian of the mountaineering culture, and he describes that community in a way that lets you decide whether or not to immerse further. I went for it. I listened to ALL the Viesturs books, plus several others. Exception: The superb *Himalyan Quest* book of full-page photographs. It puts things into perspective, and must be enjoyed in paper form.

Look, we can’t all climb these mountains, but we can read, and watch movies and videos. This book is the primer. It fascinates while it gives you a taste. Then, if you choose to immerse as I did, you can enjoy scores of hours of wonderful entertainment, as you climb the world’s highest mountains in your armchair.

I have read many climbing books, including nearly everything in print written about Everest '96. Although the tragic Everest season of '96 is just a portion of this book about Viesturs' 'Endeavor 8000' (or whatever goofy name he gave it), the book seems to be less a narrative of the climbs and more of self-praise book about the man.
I found it especially odd how Viesturs continually inserts direct quotes and snippets from other climbers that gush praise over his climbing prowess. A lot of "Here's what so-and-so had to say about my superior guiding skills and incredible preparation... yadda, yadda". I especially had to laugh when Viesturs comments about leaving his pregnant wife for one of his Himalayan adventures, promising to check on her frequently by sat-phone. As his focus shifts to climbing, and he indicates his wife's displeasure over lack of communication via sat-phone, he writes it off saying, "Some people might have found (her) to be unreasonable, but I knew I had to focus on the mountain...".
He's generous in offering critique and criticism of others - from climbers to sponsors to family & friends, to the point of being obnoxious. Anyone who dares to question his decision-making or his tactics, he immediately trashes. I found it very hard to listen to at points.
I also found the narration to add to the tone of condescension - I don't think Stephen Hoye was the best choice for this one, as he seemed to add a note of whine to mix.
Bottom line: other climbing authors - from Krakauer to Boukreev, to virtually anybody else, frankly - offer better and more humble and respectful accounts of man vs. mountain. This was a turn-off. Even though I once was a Viesturs admirer,
I am no longer.

What made the experience of listening to No Shortcuts to the Top the most enjoyable?

If you like books like 'Into Thin Air' and 'Annapurna' then Ed Viesturs' novel about climbing the fourteen 8000 metre peaks is a must read. Thoroughly thrilling, great performance and very interesting.

Only 5 minutes into this book I was convinced that Ed. V is the most arrogant author I've ever encountered. I continued with this book only because I was curious whether his comments could get any worse. The good news is they do not. The bad news is they also don't get any better, or more humble.

Frankly, I'm surprised this man has summitted anything - his ego is so big it must be difficult to drag along.

My wife listened to this book with me for a while, but said she had to stop listening because she was bored with the author droning on about how great he is. I humored her and listened to the rest of it on my own. I have to admit that she's right. Mr. Visteurs does think more highly of himself than the average person and I too became disenchanted when he cites passage after passage of all the great things that other people wrote about him. I did enjoy the climbing stories, however, and he did accomplish something I would only dream of, so I guess he's entitled to a certain amount of self-congratulations. Overall, there are better mountain-climbing books out there and I would recommend skipping this one.

I give this audio 1 star because I don't have the option to give it 0 stars. If you want a good read, good write, and compelling narration of an Everest expedition, get Krakauer's "Into Thin Air." "No Shortcuts..." doesn't come close to any of these. The reader is a bore, perhaps it is the content. Speaking of which, someone should do a count of the number of times the author uses "I". This audio is not about Everest or any other mountain, it is about the author, how great he is, how smart his children are, and his business ventures. Who cares? If Lunesta or Nyquil doesn't work for you, try this audio. Otherwise, skip it.

Breathtaking achievement. If like me you are obsessed about anything to do with mountain climbing you will love this. If you're not a 'mountain nerd' you will probably find this too long and too dry. Alot about this book is repetative, after all its a collection of stories about climbing 8000 m climbs, in essence its the same story over and over. Not for everyone but i loved it.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Haydn

Tewkesbury, United Kingdom

9/11/12

Overall

"Insight into an elite world"

This book lets you see into the elite world of extreme mountaineering and the challenges faced by its top people. Not just the challenges of reaching the peaks time after time but seeing and hearing their loved friends chewed up or killed, as well as considering their spouses and children. There is a new perspective on the Everest disaster which is worth hearing if you have read books about it. The only negative

was that the narrators tone and phrasing took a little while to get used to but stick with it as you adjust after the first chapters.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

S. Oliver

12/7/09

Overall

"Inspiring book"

Great book, especially for a keen climber that want to do more mountain climbing.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Shaun

8/1/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"An inspiration"

After unknowingly passing Ed Viestures on Rainier as he was guiding a team up the mountain I decided to listen to his book.

He's a truly motivational character. A great book and a fascinating read (listen)!

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Sophie

2/9/16

Overall

Performance

Story

"An outstanding account of the mountains by a truly humbling man"

A fantastic account of the climbing world and Ed's personal attempt of summiting all 14 of the 8000m peaks. Ed comes across as being a clever, hard working, humble and thoughtful guy. There is no ego here. I loved and agreed with his take on the notion that he is not a risk taker. He is a risk manager and this shows through on many of his summit attempts.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Simon

1/25/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Inspirational story from a great guy"

This is a fantastic blend of detailed accounts of incredible expeditions in the high peaks, together with the back story to Ed Viesturs' upbringing and home life. One of the best climbing memoirs I have encountered.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

john

Oakham, United Kingdom

9/18/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"A must buy!"

What made the experience of listening to No Shortcuts to the Top the most enjoyable?

A relaxing but yet gripping story line.

What did you like best about this story?

Human endeavour, belief and the will to keep going at tough times

What does Stephen Hoye bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Stephen Hoye complimented the book with his excellent style of narrating the story.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

A User

4/15/13

Overall

"A brilliantly read and written book"

I have re-listened to this book many times as its very inspiring and well read which gives you a real sense of how difficult it is and the amazing achievement on getting up the 14 most difficult mountains in the world. Love this book

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Neil

prenton, wirral, United Kingdom

2/20/09

Overall

"Amazing and inspiring"

This book is a brilliant and engaging account of one man and his quest to climb all the higest mountains... utterly inspiring and amazing

1 of 5 people found this review helpful

David

FreiburgGermany

4/18/10

Overall

"Quite good"

A good book, but overlong. Quite a lot of detail about the writer's life which was only moderately interesting, and which is not that relevant to his overall achievements.

0 of 3 people found this review helpful

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